Six Republicans Join Six Democrats in Urging Trump to Drop Russian Diesel Deal

Twelve senators, evenly split between the parties, asked President Donald Trump on Tuesday to back out of his agreement with Russian President Vladimir Putin to send Russian diesel onto world markets, calling it “a gift to our adversary and a betrayal of our Allies.”

The letter was signed by Republicans Alan Armstrong, Susan Collins, John Cornyn, Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski and Thom Tillis, and by Democrats Richard Blumenthal, Chris Coons, Dick Durbin, Jack Reed, Jeanne Shaheen and Sheldon Whitehouse. It urges the president to withdraw from the deal and to rescind the Treasury Department action that made it possible.

Trump announced the arrangement on Oct. 9 after a call with Putin. He said Russia would release more than 300,000 tons of diesel right away, another 500,000 tons in November and 1 million tons after that, with up to 3 million more tons to follow depending on the condition of Russian refineries. The same day, Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued General License 135, which authorizes the sale, delivery and import of Russian-origin diesel, including into the United States, through April 7, 2027.

The senators wrote that they understand the urgent need to bring down energy costs, which have climbed sharply since the war with Iran began, but argued the deal would deliver little to no relief to Americans and would have a negligible effect on fuel prices. They warned that the revenue would help finance Russia’s war in Ukraine and deepen its security ties with China, Iran and North Korea. Any peace in Ukraine, they added, must respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and its people’s right to choose their future.

The letter also invoked the Russia sanctions law that Congress passed and Trump signed last month. The senators said that law gives the president the authority to broker a fair peace, and that such authority depends on keeping economic pressure on Moscow.

Asked Tuesday about concerns that Russia could use the proceeds to buy weapons, Trump told reporters, “Nobody’s telling me anything.” He said the diesel was intended for the world market rather than for the United States, because high prices had hurt economies around the globe. The White House referred questions about the letter back to those remarks.

The license is a temporary waiver rather than a repeal of sanctions, and it can be withdrawn. Its supporters’ strongest argument is a practical one: diesel moves the trucks, tractors and ships that carry nearly everything, and any added supply on a tight global market could take some pressure off prices that farmers, truckers and families are struggling to absorb.

The bipartisan objection is notable because it includes senior Republicans who have generally avoided public breaks with the president, including McConnell and Cornyn, weeks before the midterm elections.